The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-22
A Temperance Talk to Young Men

should have been in my grave twenty or
thirty years ago if had not quit drinking
intoxicating liquors, as did, in 1847. I had
contracted the habit had built up blind,
unnatural appetite for strong drinks, and
liked the taste of every kind Of liquor-though
suspect liked the effects still better. I be-
gan to grow careless and "slothful in bust
ness" and put off till next week what ought
to have done to-day. Fortunately discov-
cred that the habit was destroying my health
and my worldly prospects, and by most de-
termined will power conquered the powerful
appetite which had acquired for intoxicants
and broke it forever.
knew that habit was second nature, and
that the unnatural appetite for strong drinks
was stronger than nature itself, for every
glass Of liquor drank increased the desire for
another glass, and so on ad libitum, and there
fore to have conquered such a fearful habit
was the saving of my life, and all that was
worth living for. When I found myself
secure from falling back into the whirlpool
Of intoxicants, I felt as shipwrecked person
must feel when his life is barely saved by the
were still struggling in the waves. Being
saved himself, he is excitedly anxious to save
others, / felt so overjoyed at being snatched
from a habit which was surely dragging
me down to misery and death, that !
found my greatest pleasure consisted
in circulating the temperance pledge, giving
temperance lectures free of charge all over
the country, and using every effort in my
power to enlighten public sentiment in re-
gard to the fearful delusion of strong drink.
| particularly urged Young men and young
women, as I now do to start right in life to
avoid the greatest evil il the land, because
it is the parent of nearly every other evil
known, and is sure to utterly destroy nine
tenths of those who form the drinking habit.
r tlo,,, 10 rola 6rnrl
because like opium, morphine and other
narcotics the drinking Of lquor calls for
more, more, and more to produce the same
effect that little produced at f-st, and thus
an artificial and unnatural appetite was
created that proved irresistible in great
majority of cases. I showed the youth
of this country that their health, happi-
ness, and success in life, as well as OF their
posterity, depended upon whether they
started 'lifes Journey on whisky, beer, and
other brain-muddlers. or on cold water,
natures beverage, which gives the clear
brain, the firm hand, the strong resolution,
and the noble ambition to succeed in life
financially and morally. am glad to know
that have started thousands of young per-
sons on the right track, and that their exam
ple will save hundreds Of thousands Of their
posterity and fellow beings. 1t is one of the
greatest pleasures of the evening Of my life
that can look back and see the multitude
of Young married men, who were running
themselves and families by this social, delu-
sive, and absolutely fatal habit Of dram
drinking, whom have been able to convince
that they were on the wrong track, and to
induce them to switch off and take the tenn
perance track for life Many wife and son
and daughter have clasped me by the hand,
and, with streaming eyes, have thanked me
for having saved them from misery and
degradation, and saving their father and
husband.
Young married men in Bridgeport who were
my tenants, have induced to abandon the
use of liquor and tobacco on condition that
l would build and sell them house on credit,
to be paid for by instalments. Numbers OF
such men with growing families have ina few
years owned the houses they lived in, clear
from debt. they having saved the money by
cutting off their rum and tobacco expenses,
and earned more money by their renewed
energy, strength and ambition. There is.
not one redeeming quality in the liquor
drinking habit. 1t does no possible good,
and it inflicts all manner of evil on its victim,
his family and friends. 1t is the most de-
grading, poverty breeding, and utterly
destructive infatuation that ever paralyzed
the hopes, comforts and characters of the
people OF this otherwise blessed America.
P. T. BARNUA.